And then my hilarious, super hot wife turned 34! Lookit what a babe she is:

The bulldogs frequently lose their bones under the couch and sweet lala retrieves them, as she is doing here.

Meanwhile, I have developed yet another kind of sucky pregnancy symptom: carpel tunnel. A few weeks ago, I noticed that my hands were falling asleep at night. I knew this was potentially a thing that could happen in pregnancy, and chalked it up to sleeping on my side (generally, I’m a back sleeper.) In the last week, the frequency of the numbness has increased, and its now accompanied by pain in my thumbs and fingers and weakness throughout my hand when I wake up. I’m also now struggling with numbness and tingling at work while typing, which has never been a problem before (but particularly sucks since I’m knee deep in writing training designs, which is a typing heavy aspect of my already desk based job.) I bought a cheap brace at the grocery store last night and wore it over night. That, plus switching my snoogle so I can sleep more comfortably on my left side (instead of favoring the right, like I have been) seemed to make a difference, at least in the frequency of numbness. The pain at work, however, is the same.

I have a midwife appointment this week, so I’ll bring it up (again) and see what she suggests. At my 17 week appointment she just told me to drink more water. But considering I average a gallon a day and am still struggling, I think I’m going to push for something else – even if its just a prescription for a better brace to wear at night and/or at work.

I’m still having lots of sads (and mads too, although less so) but it feels less overwhelming and all encompassing than it did last week. After a difficult phone call a week ago this past friday, Hero told me she needed “time to process” and would contact me when she had. 10 days went by with no word from her. When I finally sent her a text saying, “hey, I know you’re processing and all but 10 days feels kind of long and sad for me” she went off about how what I’d said was “devestating” and she didn’t feel comfortable contacting me. This is sort of how her martyr cycle goes, but it makes me simultaneously angry and really sad. I said how I felt . . .calling that “devestating” feels a little . . .overblown? In any case, it’s still a thing and I really need it not to be.

I also know I’m still on the outs with the hormone feels because I am soooo pissy about my order of new maternity shirts taking so f’ing long to get shipped to me! Its stupid right, except I am actually now at the stage where most of my non-pregnancy shirts just aren’t long enough to cover my bump and I only own 4 maternity shirts, plus some regular tank tops that when appropriately layered can get me through. But I feel kind of desperate for some different shirts to wear by the end of the week. 100% first world, white girl problems but . . .a problem never-the-less.

We are finally about 99% finished cleaning out what was “the office” and will now be the “guest bedroom” (as seafoam’s room was the old guest bedroom) which is awesome because the office was never really an office, but more of an intermediate term storage space that roughly resembled Harry Potter’s room of requirement. We moved the lovely antique secretary’s desk (that I adore and La thinks is useless) into our bedroom where at least it gets more air time, if not more actual use. La’s mom is coming out for a few days next week and we’ll be buying a new day bed/futon for the room that she can use (and by we I mean she will, because she’s awesome) and a few other final touches that will make it actually useable. Next project: seafoam’s room!

I think I need to update more frequently because I SWEAR I had a bunch of more interesting topics to talk about, but seafoam stole the blood to my brain and now I have no clue what those interesting things might have been.

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12 thoughts on “Pins and Needles (20w3d)”

Have you seen a chiropractor? They can adjust your neck safely at this point in the pregnancy. That’s where those nerves originate. I’d be willing to bet money you just need an adjustment and the nerve issues will resolve. Sleeping in new positions can easily cause that, and once your body gets re-aligned it might adjust better to the sleeping positions.

Hot water bottle! I get carpal (or as I called it until Cade told me I was mistaken, carpool) tunnel. It is sooo sore and sooo annoying but a hot water bottle helps instantly. Unfortunately I find the relief only last as long as I have my arm resting on the heat but try that?

Also I always feel like I have tons to write about and then forget it all!

Try this stretch: put your palms together like you are praying with your elbows out and push your hands against each other and down. You should feel the stretch from your wrist up your forearm. Do that every hour or so and it will help. Also, and i don’t know how possible this is with a bump, but if you sleep on your side put your palms together and between your knees. That one doesnt work so well for me because i toss and turn but it is supposed to keep wrists straight and prevent them from falling asleep. I work in a vineyard and spend 5 or so months of the year pruning so “dead arm” is something i have to deal with. The stretching should help anyway.

Thats stretch Sarah has suggested is a good one. You can also try one I call the Silver Back lol, which is where you stand with your legs apart near a table, put your hands (back of hand down) about shoulder width apart, with your finger tips pointing towards you and stick your bum out while arching your back downwards – like a gorilla. Hold for 10. Then turn your hands over so they are palm down, finger tips still facing towards you and gently lean forward applying a tiny bit of weight / pressure – hold for 10. I find those two really help my OOS (Occupational Overuse Syndrome – aka Carpal Tunnel). x

Yes, yes, yes to the stretching tips. It was one of the best things I got out of my prenatal yoga classes. It doesn’t make it go away (just like the wrist braces won’t), but it will make a huge difference and it really. Just. Feels. Sooo. Good.

Your bump looks so awesome! And don’t worry, Callie will be talking to me and telling me a story and mid sentence, she’ll just be like, “Uhhh, and I forgot the rest!” Literally scratching her head trying to remember…i just cant! LOL!

I had carpal tunnel from my pregnancy too. Sucked so bad! I second the wrist stretch exercises- they helped immensely! I also wish I had thought to use a hot water bottle for the pain, but alas I did not.

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but no one ever told me, I just got to find out in my own as a nice little surprise, so: carpal tunnel from pregnancy can last well after the actual pregnancy is over. As in, months. It does eventually fade but just be warned. Looking back on it now, that is one of the things I most hated from pregnancy. I hope yours gets better soon!

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One research obsessed post-punk political dyke and one wonder-endowed post-modern theater professor fall in love and decide to make some babies. Hilarity, awkwardness and, sometimes, tenderheartedness, ensues.

Herein lies an adventure of queer infertility and making a family without biology on your side.